The War Without Honor Raid
by AliasCWN
Summary: The Rat Patrol needs Dietrichs' help to foil a plan by Berlin that could cost the Captain and his men as much as it will cost the Allies.
1. Chapter 1

**The War Without Honor Raid**

By: AliasCWN

"One soldier with a small bladder and my entire plan goes down the toilet."

"Really Sergeant. I prefer to think that we would have caught you anyway." Captain Hans Dietrich stood in front of his desk with his hands clasp firmly behind his back. He kept his fingers locked to keep them from wrapping around the throat of his guards. Despite his assurance to Sergeant Troy, it had only been luck that had resulted in the sergeants' capture. Bad luck for Troy, good luck for him and the soldier with the small bladder. The guards had not suspected a thing until the soldier had nearly tripped over the sergeant on his way to the latrine. His yell had alerted the guards who had somehow managed to corner the elusive American.

Troy snorted In disbelief. "Your guards had no idea I was within a hundred miles of here. You got lucky Captain, admit it."

"Perhaps Sergeant, but the point here is that you are now my prisoner. I don't suppose that you would be willing to enlighten me as to what you were doing on my base?"

Troy smiled a cocky smile. "I just came to visit Captain. I thought I would surprise you. Brighten your day so to speak."

"Well you have certainly succeeded Sergeant. Now it would be even better if you would tell me where to find your men." Dietrich turned away, certain that any answer the sergeant chose to give him would be totally useless in locating the others.

"I can't help you there Captain. They dropped me off and then headed for parts unknown."

"And just left you here? Why would they do that sergeant?" The Captain turned to again face his prisoner, curious despite his belief that Troy was toying with him.

The sergeant shrugged. "Because I told them to. In fact, I ordered them to do it."

"Why Sergeant?" Despite his better judgement, Dietrich let his curiosity get the better of him.

"Because you and I need to talk Captain." Troy answered seriously, all trace of humor gone. "And I don't want you distracted by trying to chase my men."

Dietrich studied the man before him, watching him intently. There was a ring of truth in the Sergeants' voice. For some inexplicable reason, Dietrich believed him. He motioned the sergeant to a seat and waited for him to take it. Walking around his desk he pulled his luger from the top drawer. Laying it in the center of his desk, he sat in his own chair, one hand resting next to the hand gun.

"Alright Sergeant, start talking."

Troy shook his head and looked pointedly at the guards.

"They don't speak English. Whatever you have to say will not be understood."

"No. They may not understand the words but they may recognize the names. They leave or I don't talk, your choice."

The captain looked from Troy to his guards, a frown on his face. "You wouldn't be trying to get them out of here so you can jump me would you Sergeant?"

Troy cocked his head to look at the captain. "Are you afraid of me Captain?" The sergeant smiled, showing his perfect white teeth in a grin meant to mock the captain. "They can stand outside the door in case you need to call them. Heck, put some outside the window too in case I try to go out that way. Put them anywhere but in this room." The sergeant met the captains' stare and refused to look away. It was the captain who broke eye contact.

"Why should I talk to you?"

"Don't talk, just listen. What have you got to lose Captain?" Troy turned serious, facing his captor, trying to convey his sincerity with his eyes.

Dietrich stared into those eyes, looking thoughtful. "Who was it said that 'the eyes are the gateway to the soul' Sergeant?"

Troy smiled and leaned back into his chair. With a shrug, he relaxed. "I can't remember." He shrugged again. "I'm not sure I ever really knew. Does it matter?"

Dietrich leaned back in his seat. "No, not really. I think he may have been correct though." With a wave of his hand, the captain ordered the guards to take up positions in the hall and wait for him to call them. As the door shut behind them the captain looked back at his prisoner. "Just what do you want to talk about that would warrant all this trouble Sergeant?" He fingered the handle of his luger, the action soothing his sudden case of nerves.

Troy watched his hand caress the gun grip. Silence reigned as Troy collected his thoughts and prepared to launch into his practiced speech.

Dietrich watched the emotions play across his face and worried. Whatever had the American sergeant so worked up had to be serious. He'd seen the sergeant face a hangman's noose with less concern. Whatever it was, he hoped to be able to control any display of emotion on his part once the sergeant starting talking. He took deep even breaths and waited.


	2. Chapter 2

**The War Without Honor**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 2

"Four days ago G-2 got some information that worried headquarters. They spent two days trying to confirm it." Troy tried to decide it Dietrich knew what information he was referring to. The Captain was listening but appeared to be clueless but interested.

"What kind of information?"

"They got wind of a plot to spread some kind of germ among the Allied troops. Some kind of disease or virus that would wipe out large numbers and leave many more too sick to fight."

"Why tell me Sergeant? It sounds like a problem for the Allies." Dietrich was watching the sergeants eyes. So far he believed that the sergeant had been truthful.

"Yeah it will be." Troy admitted. "It could kill an awful lot of our guys. We wouldn't have a cure for it."

"Again, why tell me?"

"Because I need your help to stop it Captain. We need to stop it before it gets started." Troy leaned toward Dietrich.

Dietrichs' fingers tightened around the grip of his luger. He saw the sergeant take note of the move and freeze. The sergeant relaxed slightly and sat back in his chair, moving away from the captain.

"I don't see why I should help you Sergeant. I'm sure your doctors will be ready for whatever happens." The captain rubbed his fingers absently over the grip. "Why would I risk my career and my life to help you?"

"Because," Troy explained, "according to G-2, the attack is supposed to start here. The informant said that you and your men were going to be deliberately infected and sent against the Allies. Any kind of contact will spread the disease. It doesn't matter to those in Berlin if your men are killed or captured as long as they have contact with our side."

Dietrich felt his breath catch, his expression didn't change but he knew Troy had noticed his reaction.

Troy nodded. "Yeah Captain, you and your men are going to be sacrificed to carry the germ. You'll die, along with who knows how many of our people. Apparently you have an enemy in Berlin Captain. Your unit was chosen specifically."

The captain tried to remain calm, trying to hide his alarm. "Perhaps it would be worth it Sergeant. We could help Germany win the war."

"I don't think you want to win it that way Captain. At least I hope not. Besides, you're forgetting one thing, we know about the plan."

"Then you do have a cure?"

"No, but we do have a plan." Troy blew out his breath and hung his head. "I'm not going to say it's a good plan, or that I agree with it, but it's what we're going to do." The sergeant looked Dietrich right in the eye. "You and your men will be shot without a chance to surrender. Even the wounded will be killed. Your bodies will be burnt where they fall. If anyone on our side gets sick, they will be sent to infect POWs. Those POWs will be returned to various German bases here and in Europe. If our people are exposed, we have no choice but to give it right back. Otherwise you might just win this war while we are fighting the outbreak."

"You can't be serious! You would expose non-combatants, POWs?" Dietrich looked shocked.

"We wouldn't have much choice Captain. We would have to do something to keep your troops from over-running us while we fought the epidemic. So you see Captain, it would benefit both sides if we could stop this before it gets started. Let's be honest here, that's not a very honorable way to fight a war."

"I can't believe that you would do such a thing." Dietrich stared at Troy.

"I told you, I may not agree with it, but headquarters didn't ask me. Don't forget, it's your side that is starting this. My side is giving you a chance to stop it." Troy leaned forward again. "Believe me Captain, I had to do a lot of fast talking to even get you this chance. There are still some who believe it would be best to let you come and just turn flamethrowers on you. Is that what you want? Think of your men Captain."

Dietrich rose to his feet so fast that he knocked his chair over backwards. It hit the floor with a loud bang.

There was a knock on the door and one of the guards ask if he was alright.

The captain stared at the door, not answering. The knob turned slowly and one of his men stuck his head in to see what had happened. Seeing his captain standing behind his desk and the prisoner sitting in his chair in front of it, he mumbled a quick apology and pulled the door closed.

"Think about it Captain." Troy lowered his voice as he watched Dietrich. "You have about twenty-four hours to make up your mind before it's too late."

"And what are you going to be doing in the meantime Sergeant? You are my prisoner, or are you planning another of your miraculous escapes?"

Troy shrugged. "I'll stick around to wait for your answer," he replied matter-of-factly, "as long as you don't take too long."


	3. Chapter 3

**The War Without Honor Raid**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 3

His men had escorted Sgt. Troy to a cell and locked him in. The sergeant had gone quietly, offering no resistance. The captain had dropped by to check on him after his evening meal and found the sergeant sleeping peacefully on his cot.

Sleep wasn't coming quite so easily for Captain Dietrich. He paced his quarters restlessly, replaying the sergeants words over and over in his head. He tried unsuccessfully to convince himself that the American was lying. It was possible that his superiors had lied to him, or that their intelligence had misunderstood some piece of information that they had gathered. He would prefer any of those things over believing that his own government, German officers, would use these tactics. Even worse was believing that they would deliberately infect their own troops to carry out their plot. The more he considered it the more his head ached.

A knock on his door was a welcome distraction.

"Come in."

His second in command, Lt. Bernhart, opened the door cautiously. "I'm sorry Captain, I didn't mean to disturb you."

Dietrich waved the apology away with a sweep of his hand. "What is it Lieutenant?"

"I was wondering Sir, would you like us to double the guards in case the Americans try to rescue their leader?"

Dietrich considered the question while he eyed the young soldier before him. Lt. Bernhart had a sweetheart back in Germany. His parents were still alive, caring for his two younger sisters. They would all mourn the loss if he were to die in this war. The captain realized that it was a very real possibility that the youth might not survive the war no matter what he chose. His loss would be tragic in battle, just as the loss of any of his men was tragic, yet the thought that his own countrymen would deliberately sacrifice such a young life was repugnant to the captain. And to do it in such a way, it was hard to accept the truth of the sergeants' words.

"Captain?"

Dietrich realized with a start that he had been staring at his lieutenant for some time. With a shake of his head he brought his thoughts back to the question. Troy had said that he would 'stick around and wait' for his answer. The statement had had a ring of truth to it that Dietrich could not deny. "No Lieutenant, I don't think we'll have any trouble tonight. Allow the men to rest as much as possible, there may be a new assault in the planning stages."

"Very well Captain. I'll see to the regular guards then." Lt. Bernhart saluted and backed toward the door, watching his commander closely. He looked like he would have liked to say more but he refrained and left quietly. The door clicked shut, leaving Dietrich to his thoughts.

The captain resumed his pacing. The camp got quiet as the men sought their beds. Dietrich envied them their peaceful slumber. His own sleep, when it did finally come, was restless and filled with dreams of zombie-like soldiers calling to him and asking why he let them die. The faces of the walking dead were all familiar to him, he saw them every day as they dutifully lined up to follow his orders.

Morning found Dietrich up at first light as was his custom. As he performed his daily rituals of preparing for the day he did so with less than his usual energy. While he was shaving the face looking back at him from the mirror was pinched with exhaustion. Dark bags under his eyes attested to his lack of sleep. Throwing cold water into his face, he tried to concentrate on the days duties. He had some reports to write, perhaps he could finish them before his orderly arrived with his breakfast to disturb him.

The knock on his door was followed by the voice of his orderly announcing that his breakfast had arrived. Capt. Dietrich looked at the report in front of him and blinked at the writing. He held the pen in his hand but he hadn't managed to put more than a few sentences on the paper. Disgusted with his own lack of concentration, he threw the pen across the room, getting some small satisfaction out of the sound of it bouncing off the wall. With a heavy sigh he rose from his desk and went to greet his orderly.

"Is everything alright Captain?" His orderly had placed his breakfast on the table and neatly arranged his silverware. Pouring the coffee, he held the cup for the captain. His eyes widened when he saw the captain walk into the room. He immediately noticed the sunken eyes and drawn, haggard look.

"I'm fine, thank you. It was stuffy in here last night and I didn't sleep well is all. Perhaps you could air out the room today."

"Of course Captain, I'll do so at once." His orderly started to rush past him.

"No, no, it can wait. Do it this afternoon after I finish my paperwork."

"Yes Captain." The orderly fussed around the room stealing glances at his captain as he ate his breakfast. Dietrich was grateful that there was no more mention of his appearance as he hated making excuses. His orderly was another of his men who trusted him and willing followed his orders without question. Dietrich wondered how they would feel if they knew about the dilemma he found himself facing. Would they still follow him and trust him to do what was best for them? And was what was best for them good or bad for Germany? Did he even have the right as a German officer sworn to protect Germany to question any plan that her leaders thought necessary? Finishing his coffee, Dietrich realized that his headache had returned tenfold. Holding his head in his hands , he silently cursed Berlin and their foolish leaders. Then he cursed Sergeant Sam Troy for telling him any of this. He still hadn't decided who deserved it more. What he did know was that his twenty-four hours were passing quickly.


	4. Chapter 4

**The War Without Honor Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 4

His time was up. He knew it as soon as Lt. Bernhart told him that two jeeps had been spotted in the hills outside his compound. Troys' men had come back for their sergeant and no doubt were expecting him to have made up his mind. He knew what Sgt. Troy wanted him to say. He suspected that the sergeant had expected him to agree to an alliance right from the start. Otherwise, why would the man have come to talk to him at all? He supposed that to the American the decision was a simple one. After all, the Americans were not being ask to defy their orders or turn against their superiors. They were following their orders. Troy and his men were not risking their lives or their careers to stop this plan. Dietrich drew his thoughts up short, he had to admit, they actually were risking their lives, only they'd die heroes while he might be labeled a traitor. The thought that his family might suffer for his decision made his blood run cold. Of course, if Troy were right, and his country's intelligence were true, he could very well die either way. Could he die in peace knowing that he could have saved his men if he'd only had the courage? The thoughts became all jumbled in his head, going round and round.

One moment he decided to send the sergeant to a POW camp and forget the whole matter. The next moment he was trying to decide how he could help the sergeant without getting himself or his men killed. He smiled to himself as he realized that he had not yet tried to figure out how to help without getting Troy and his men killed. At least he still had his priorities straight, his own men and his own survival before that of the Americans. They might not have found it amusing but it gave him some comfort to realize that he was still thinking like a German officer and not a traitor to his country. He still believed in Germany with all his heart, it was her leaders who gave him pause.

"Captain Dietrich? Captain?" Lt. Bernhart called to him, trying to get his attention.

"I'm sorry Lieutenant, my mind was elsewhere. What were you saying?" Dietrich snapped out of his daze to find the lieutenant calling to him with a worried frown on his face.

"The prisoner is asking for you Captain. He says it's important. I didn't want to disturb you Sir but he's very insistent."

Dietrich smiled for the first time all day. He still had a headache but he sympathized with the lieutenant. He'd dealt with Sgt. Troy enough to know just how insistent the man could be. "It's alright Lieutenant, I'll go see him. I suspect that I know what it is he wants. Double the guards just in case his men get any ideas about rescuing him. Tell the men to be alert. I'll be back shortly."

Lt. Bernhart hurried to talk to the head of security, happy to see his Captain acting like his old self. The commander had been distant and distracted all day. Holding the leader of the Rat Patrol had everyone on edge already without the captain acting strange too.

Dietrich could feel the tension on the base as he walked the short distance to the prisoners' cell. There was an air of expectation probably magnified by the sighting of the jeeps. Every soldier on the base knew the identity of the prisoner by now. He could feel eyes following him as he crossed the courtyard. When he looked into the faces of the men he passed he could see trust and pride. Trust in him and pride in their country. Did he feel the same? He wished that he felt worthy of their trust.

"Sergeant Troy?"

Sam Troy was sitting on his cot when the cell door opened. He rose as Dietrich entered the cell.

"Sit down Sergeant. My men are going to stay by the door just in case you decide you want to leave on your own."

Troy sat down on the cot with a worried look on his face. He watched the guards take up positions outside the door. Dietrich swung the heavy door almost closed.

"They don't speak English Sergeant, I made sure of that before I came."

"Time's up Captain. I need your answer. My men will be here soon to get an answer to take back to headquarters." Troy watched Dietrich pace the small cell.

"Your men are already here Sergeant. They were spotted in the hills outside the base half an hour ago."

Troy nodded. "They have orders to hang around for a little while. If they don't see the signal they'll go back and tell headquarters that you chose not to help and that the Allies will have to do this on their own."

"And you Sergeant?"

"They can't stick around and wait for me. I'll try to escape on my own. They'll be too busy trying to save lives. Lives on both sides I might add Captain."

"So you say Sergeant, yet you offer no proof."

"Would a copy of the orders from Berlin convince you?" The sergeant shifted on the cot, his voice rising in frustration. Immediately the guards at the door rushed inside.

Dietrich impatiently ordered them back into the hall outside the cell. "How would I know they were authentic?"

Troy shrugged and made a face. "Can't help you there Captain. Maybe you'd recognize some of the names. Maybe the way they phrase things, heck, how would I know? I hid a copy before I got caught. Take a look at it Captain. Make up your mind, but do it quick, your twenty-four hours are up."

"Just where did you hide it Sergeant? I suppose you expect me to leave the base to retrieve them? What then? Do your men try to grab me?" The captain smiled a smug grin. "Do you think I'm stupid Sergeant?" He was relieved to finally figure out the sergeants plan. The smile disappeared at the sergeants next words.

"It's inside the base Captain. There's a flat rock next to the last latrine in the line. I scratched it with my knife to mark it. Go three steps toward the latrines and dig under the small flat rock there. It's in a flat leather pouch. They're just photos of the original documents that we captured but they were enlarged and the writing is legible."

"And what does it say Sergeant?"

Troy shrugged. "I don't know Captain, it's all in German. I guess I could have had Moffitt translate it for me but it seemed pointless. Our commanders had already briefed us on the mission. The copy of the orders were for you, not us."

Again there was a ring of truth to the sergeants words. Dietrich called the guards and sent one of them scurrying to retrieve the pouch, stressing that it was not to be opened. When he returned just minutes later carrying exactly what the American had described, Dietrich could feel his resistance crumbling, even before he read the orders.


	5. Chapter 5

**The War Without Honor Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 5

"Alright Sergeant, if I agree to this, what would be expected of me ?"

Troy let out a sigh of relief. He hadn't been sure the captain would agree. It might have been possible to stop the plan without his help but Troy knew it would be a lot easier with his help. He'd been counting on the German officers' sense of honor and his sense of responsibility to his men. He was thankful that the Captain hadn't disappointed him.

"First Captain, we need to stop the vials of this stuff when it gets here. Since your unit was chosen as the carrier for this plan it makes sense that you would get the first doses."'

"And how will we do that?"

"I would guess that they'll let you know they're coming." Dietrich raised an eyebrow at Troys' assumption. "Look Captain, they'll warn you that they're coming, that's standard procedure isn't it?"

"Not for something like this." Dietrich frowned. "I can't really say what would be normal for something like this." He couldn't keep his distaste out of his voice.

Troy nodded in agreement. "Okay, but they want you to think that everything is normal. They aren't going to ask you and your men to volunteer, they've already done that for you."

The captain had to agree that the sergeant was making sense. He finally nodded at Troy.

"Okay, so they'll probably have to have some excuse for coming here. Is there anything unusual scheduled to happen? Something that was scheduled recently? A review, an inspection, something you weren't expecting?"

"We received word that there will be an inspection of all forward bases by members of the medical korps to assess success rates of our field hospitals. According to headquarters they have some new methods they would like to implement." Considering what he now knew, the message suddenly sounded ominous to the captain.

"That's probably the shipment. We have to stop it but we can't risk breaking any of the vials or letting them open any of them. The last thing we need is to let this killer loose on the desert."

"Why not let them come here and then we can confiscate the vials?" Dietrich couldn't see any problem with letting the vials on his base as long as they didn't open them but Troy was already shaking his head.

"We can't do that."

"And why not? It would put the least amount of people at risk Sergeant. Once here we could destroy the vials."

"And everyone would know that you were working with us Captain. I appreciate that you're willing to help stop this madness but I think it's better if your commanders never find out you knew about the plan at all."

The captain had no argument for that since he whole heartedly agreed.

"Okay Captain, first things first." Troy rose to his feet and began to pace off his excess energy. "The first thing we need to do is let Moffitt know that you're on board with the plan. We don't want the Allies to wipe you out before you have a chance to help us stop this thing."

"Of course not Sergeant, that wouldn't do at all." Dietrich replied dryly. The sergeants only reply was a quick grin as he caught the sarcasm.

"You're going to have to signal Moffitt and let him know you're going to help us. They'll send the message back to headquarters in a simple code. This is all hush-hush Captain. Only a few people know about the German plan and even fewer know how we plan to deal with it. We'll do everything we can to keep your part out of it. Who knows, if we survive this, you may still have a career." The captain received another of the sergeants bright smiles. They were already starting to irritate him.

Following Troys instructions, Capt. Dietrich had a truck moved into position to block the main gate. He told his men it was to block the entrance in case the jeeps tried to make a rescue attempt. Once the truck was in place, he casually strolled by and hung his jacket on the driver's side mirror, indicating his cooperation.

Soon after he left the jacket his lieutenant sought him out appearing jubilant.

"It worked Captain Dietrich. The Americans saw your blockade and decided they could not rescue their comrade. They have been spotted driving away toward their own lines."

The captain smiled, genuinely pleased at the news although for a completely different reason. The truck was removed and the captain left to further 'question' the prisoner.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Man Without Honor Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 6

"They received the message Sergeant. The jeeps were spotted leaving the area. Dietrich once again stood in the cell facing a pacing Troy.

"Good. That gives us a little more time. Now when is this inspection scheduled to take place?"

"In two days Sergeant. I was ordered to have all of my ,men on hand for a base inspection at the same time. We are also scheduled for an annual influenza vaccine after that outbreak last year." Dietrich struggled to remember the exact wording of the message. With the events of the last twenty-four hours the message had nearly slipped his mind. Now it seemed like old news. "The inspectors will arrive the afternoon after next. They want to inspect the hospital first, then the men are to stand for inspection. The influenza shots will be given the following day. A bit unexpected but not so far out of the ordinary."

"And you would cooperate and let them have full run of the base?"

"Of course, they are being sent from Berlin. I can do no less."

"Exactly Captain." Troy was shaking his head again. "We can't let them reach the base or you and your men are as good as dead."

Dietrich watched the sergeant pace the cell while he let the Americans words sink in. All his doubts returned only to be lost in that one statement. What Berlin was doing was not in the best interests of the country or her citizens. He owed his men more than a death at the hands of madmen who had no honor and who would sacrifice her soldiers needlessly and in such a cruel way. They were loyal soldiers who deserved to die in battle if that were their fate. This way held no honor for anyone.

"So what do you have in mind?"

"First we have to set up a method of passing messages. Then I have to get out of here so that I can coordinate the plans."

"I suppose you want my help?" Dietrich dryly offered. "I suppose I could arrange to make it look like you escaped."

"Just leave the door unlocked and I'll take care of the rest." Troy saw the unease on the officers face. "I'll do my best to get out without harming any of you men. Maybe you could put the lazy ones on guard duty tonight." Troy grinned unexpectedly at the captain.

"Ha! German soldiers are not lazy!"

Troy laughed with relief as he realized that they were going to be able to work together. "Alright, the sleepy ones then." He conceded.

"That I can do Sergeant. I would appreciate any effort on your part to avoid harm to my men. It hardly pays to try to save them if you're only going to kill them in the process."

"Leave the door unlocked Captain. When you need to talk to us, take a patrol out and fly a white flag once you're away from camp. If we need to talk to you we'll make a run at the base with a false attack and pull back to a wadi about a mile from here. I saw the map on your wall while I was in your office. You have a blue stick pin on your map right under where that wadi is located. If you get close we'll find you."

"Very well Sergeant, I'll leave you to handle the details but I want to be kept informed of all new information and planned actions."

"I'll let you know when I know Captain. Expect a message before the column arrives with the 'inspectors'."

"What will you do to stop it?"

Troy could only shake his head. "We need more information on how it works. We need to find out the best way to destroy it without putting anyone at any unnecessary risk. They talked about flamethrowers; maybe fire would do the job. I'll have to talk to someone with more expertise than I can claim. I'm way out of my league here Captain. Just keep a low profile and keep me informed of any changes and I'll do the same for you."

Dietrich nodded solemnly, not sure what else he could do. With a word to his guards, he left the cellblock heading toward his office, conveniently forgetting to lock the door on his way out. He returned to his quarters and paced restlessly, rehashing the plan in his mind. The sergeants' admission of ignorance, rather than alarm him, had reassured him. At least the sergeant was thinking every step through rather than just blundering ahead. For the first time since the sergeant had dropped his 'bombshell' on him, Dietrich allowed himself to hope that they might actually be successful in not only saving his men, but his career as well.

It seemed that he had just fallen asleep when he was rousted from his bed. The pounding on his door was loud and insistent. Rolling from his bed, he composed his face to show surprise at whatever news he was about to hear. He hoped that there weren't any more actual surprises; he'd had his fill for the day.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Dietrich opened the door to find his chief-of-security looking flustered. "What is wrong that could not wait until morning?" He demanded.

"The prisoner, Captain, I posted extra guards to prevent his rescue. I know you didn't order it but I felt it best to be prepared. I thought we might be able to capture the others this time."

Dietrich felt his breath catch. "Are you telling me that you captured the rest of the Rat Patrol?" His voice rose slightly as he considered the mess that that would make of their plans.

The lieutenant hung his head in shame. "No, my Captain, I'm sorry to say that we have failed again. None of the guards saw his men come for him."

"Then what is the problem?" The captain ask with a frown.

"The prisoner is gone Captain. He got out of his cell somehow and managed to escape without anyone seeing him. The others must have come for him. The men were alert Sir, I checked them myself. I don't know how this could have happened." The lieutenant eyed his superior officer warily. While a fair and considerate officer, the captain was not one to suffer fools lightly. To his relief, the captain only sighed at the news.

"That's alright Lieutenant, you are not the first security officer to come to me with this kind of news where the Rat Patrol is concerned. You join a long line of others who have failed to keep the sergeant and his men under lock and key. Learn from your mistakes and I'm sure we'll have another chance to get it right."

The security officer relaxed, relieved that his captain wasn't angry.

"Lieutenant," Dietrich looked up, suddenly appearing anxious, "Were any of the men hurt in the escape?"

"No Captain." His subordinate replied, "one man was knocked unconscious but he will be fine. No one else saw anything."

"Thank you Lieutenant, that will be all. You're dismissed, try to get some rest."

The lieutenant saluted and left his captain staring out of the window into the desert.


	7. Chapter 7

**The War Without Honor Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 7

"He's agreed to help Colonel. According to the Captain there is an inspection scheduled for tomorrow. The column is due to arrive sometime in the afternoon. They're going to inspect the hospital and implement some new procedures before inspecting the troops and the base. Have we received any more information that will help us avert this?" Sam Troy stood in front of Colonel Dan Wilson and told him all about his conversation with Captain Dietrich. The Rat Patrol had returned to their own base a soon as possible after Troy's 'escape' from the Germans. "We set up a method of exchanging news and any changes in plans. I told the Captain we would find a way to stop the column before it reached his base."

The Colonel began shaking his head. "No Sergeant, we want the serum to reach his base."

"Colonel, I told the Captain we would try to keep his men safe." Troy's protest was met by more head shaking. "We can take that column down somewhere out in the desert Sir. Why risk infecting an entire base full of soldiers?"

"Because Sergeant, we don't want the Germans to know that we found out about their plan. We need to foil the plan without letting the cat out of the bag." The Colonel held up a hand to stop the protest Troy was about to voice. "We do have some new information. Our spies have learned how they plan to infect the men"

Troy swallowed his protest to listen to the Colonel's explanation.

"You're correct in assuming that they are going to use the hospital inspection to carry out their plan. They plan to mix the serum with some flu inoculations that are already in the hospital. The entire base is scheduled for influenza shots. After that outbreak last year that ravaged both sides, both armies have been giving their soldiers vaccines. It just so happens that Dietrich and his men are scheduled for their shots later this week. Once the serum is mixed in with the vaccine the 'inspectors' will move on to the next base. They'll be long gone before the vaccine is used and the men begin falling ill. Once the incubation period is over Berlin will order Dietrich and his men to attack in a battle they cannot win. The prisoners we take will spread the disease as they are moved from camp to camp. Even the dead will help by infecting the crews that clean up the battlefield."

"So why let them get the serum on the base Sir? We can attack the column and destroy it before it gets that far. We attack a lot of those columns, one more wouldn't draw any extra attention."

"They would just send more serum to replace what you destroyed." The Colonel sighed. "They could keep sending it until they were successful."

"Then what are we supposed to do Colonel?" Moffitt had followed the conversation but he hadn't figured out the plan. He agreed with Troy, it would be best, in his opinion, to destroy the serum before it reached the base. "It seems to me Colonel, that if we allow it to reach the base, we're going to have a difficult time keeping the captains help a secret. Are we going to sacrifice him in order to accomplish this mission?" Moffitt watched the Colonel closely. Troy had promised the captain that they would do all they could to protect him and his men and Moffitt didn't feel right going back on that promise.

"We'll do our best to hide the captains' involvement." The Colonel assured them. "But we have a plan that we think will not only protect him and his men but put an end to any more attempts at the same time."

Troy and Moffitt exchanged puzzled looks. They still weren't convinced but they were willing to listen. If it didn't sound like it would work, they could always adapt it a bit on their own. Of course, any adaptation would remain their own little secret. Their duty was to complete the mission but there was always a little wiggle room in any plan. After all, it was the results that counted in the end.

The Colonel began to outline the plan. Both sergeants began to smile and their smiles grew as the Colonel talked.

"That could work Colonel. In fact, it's a really good idea." The sergeants enthusiastic endorsement amused the Colonel. "The captain may balk a bit at parts of it, but I like it."

"I'm glad you approve Sergeant." The Colonel smiled at his men. "And since you like it so well," he paused to smile at them again, "perhaps you could carry it out as planned and not go rogue on us."

"Who, us Colonel?" Troy grinned. Moffitt ducked his head to hide his own smile.

"Collect Hitchcock and Pettigrew and pick up your package Sergeant. You don't have a lot of time to make all the arrangements. This has got to go off with no mistakes or it is doomed from the start. I trust you and your men to pull this off Sergeant, a lot of lives depend on it."

"Yes Sir, we'll do our best." Troy and Moffitt left the Colonels' office to find the privates. After a night of driving they were going to have to spend the day retracing their journey. Once they reached the base and contacted the captain they would have to tell him the new plan. Then they would have to find a place to camp and catch some sleep, they had a busy night ahead of them.

They found the privates at the motor pool. The jeeps were gassed up and ready to go. The privates had restocked their supplies while they waited for the sergeants. As Troy and Moffitt walked up they found them curled up next to their jeeps fast asleep.

"They have the right idea." Moffitt said with a smile in his eyes. "I feel better knowing they got some sleep."

Troy looked at him, puzzled.

"I'd hate for them to be driving exhausted and get us lost. There's no telling where we might end up if that were to happen."

Troy laughed, "Let's shake it."

They woke the privates, picked up the package that was waiting for them, and started the long drive back to the German base.


	8. Chapter 8

**The War Without Honor Raid**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 8

"So that's the plan Captain. If it works, if we can pull it off, it should put an end to this plan once and for all. They won't bother to try it again."

"I see." Captain Dietrich had chased the fleeing 'Rats' after their mock attack on his base. Splitting his forces, he had brought only the men he trusted completely to meet the Americans. Despite their confusion, his three men had followed orders without question and dropped him off near the wadi while they continued their search for the jeeps. He was extremely aware of the limited amount of time he had to 'scout' the area before his men returned. He didn't want them to see him talking to the Rat Patrol if he could avoid it. To take them into his confidence would put their lives in danger needlessly. "I can arrange to keep the 'inspectors' busy for an hour or so. What I can't do is guarantee that they won't leave guards at the hospital. All I can do is try to warn you before you go in."

"We understand Captain." Troy agreed. "We'll take our chances. You just keep the 'inspectors' busy while we do our thing. I can't promise that there won't be some casualties tonight. This is too important to risk discovery."

"I won't hold you to your promise to try to avoid injury to my men. I will do all that I can to keep all of my men out of your way. If you find guards, I hope that they belong to the 'inspectors'."

Troy cocked his head to study the officer. So far the German had agreed to everything they had ask of him. He looked troubled but determined to finish what they had started.

"I have to go Sergeant. My men will soon be back to pick me up. It would be best that they don't see you."

Troy nodded. "Good luck Captain."

The two jeeps were hidden in the wadi, covered with netting. Hitchcock and Pettigrew had erased their tracks and now stood guard while their sergeants talked to Dietrich. Troy and Moffitt made their way back to the wadi, erasing the new tracks they made.

Dietrich turned and walked back the way he'd come, his thoughts on the conversation he'd just finished. The 'inspectors' were due to arrive in a few hours and he had quite a few arrangements that needed to be made. Before he did anything else, he had to talk to his security officer. There could not be any unexpected security added to the base tonight. Then he had to arrange a special dinner party for the 'inspectors' that would keep them occupied and in one place for at least an hour. Still thinking, he trudged across the desert toward the sound of his own halftrack returning.

"Captain, you should be more careful. There is danger out here. A soldier cannot afford to be distracted while the enemy lurks about." His driver tried not to look at them as his lieutenant scolded him for being distracted.

"Yes, yes, you are right. I really have to be more careful… I will be more careful." He added to reassure the lieutenant. "These raids are just so distracting, especially with the inspectors arriving this afternoon."

"It's odd that they should start these attacks just before the arrival of the inspectors." The lieutenant said thoughtfully. "They have attacked the convoys before but seldom the base. Don't you think it's strange Captain?"

Dietrich looked up with a start. "Not at all Lieutenant, we caught the sergeant on the base just the other day, remember?"

"Perhaps they were trying to find out about the inspectors."

"How could that be Lieutenant? Even I did not know about the inspection until after the sergeant was captured. The message came in later that day. Until that time there had been no mention of it at all." Dietrich used logic to try to throw the lieutenant off his line of thought. The young officer was smart and he could ruin everything if he were to become suspicious.

The lieutenant nodded reluctantly. "You're right Captain." Not ready to give up, he had another thought. "Perhaps the Allies are planning an attack of some sort. This may be a distraction to keep us from discovering their real intent."

The captain frowned as if in deep thought. "That is a very real possibility Lieutenant. In fact, I believe you may be right." Dietrich paused for effect. "In fact, I think it would be a very good idea if you were to take a column out today and look for any evidence of Allied troop movement. Go as far as the American lines in your search. Make sure you are back by tomorrow afternoon for our base inspection. That should give you enough time to check the area thoroughly. If you find anything, try to avoid contact so you don't get tied up in a battle and miss the inspection. Berlin would be most unhappy if that were to happen."

"But what about the security at the base while the inspectors are here?" The lieutenant was torn between eagerness to go and his sense of duty at the base.

Dietrich waved away his question. "I will miss you of course, but I think that I can manage security while you are gone. If we're right, the Americans will be too busy to bother the base. This attack was probably just to distract us while they move their forces."

"I'll organize a column as soon as we get back to the base Captain. I don't want to leave you short- handed but as you say, the Americans will most likely be too busy to attack the base again."

"You be careful Lieutenant, they may attack the column. Take all the men you need to do the job. I'll leave it to you and see you back at the base tomorrow afternoon."

The lieutenant spent the rest of the ride to the base planning his strategy for catching the Allies before they could successfully launch an attack. Dietrich left him to his plans as he made plans of his own.

As the column rolled out, leaving the base short-handed, Dietrich issued orders that sent guards to areas he felt needed guarding. The hospital was not one of those places. Being short-handed, he kept the patrols light and the tired guards on duty much longer than usual.


	9. Chapter 9

**The War Without Honor Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 9

"It looks like Dietrich kept the patrols light tonight." Moffitt whispered to Troy as they lay along the wall of the hospital building.

"Yeah." Troy agreed. "Just don't get careless. This has to be perfect." He reached down next to his leg and picked up the satchel they had brought with them. "Cover me."

Moffitt nodded, his rifle gripped tightly in his hands, knowing that if he used it he would doom the entire mission. He watched as Troy slithered to a space underneath a window where he could peer inside. After a quick glance through the glass Troy placed the satchel on the ground and reached for a knife. Using the point, he pried the window open , sliding it up a slowly as possible. When he climbed through and disappeared, Moffitt crawled forward to join him. Once he landed on the floor inside he propped his gun against the wall and reached up to close the window.

The window screeched as it slid down, the sound carrying in the still night. Both men froze, listening to see if anyone had heard the sound. Footsteps echoed between the buildings as a lone German sentry crept through the dark, looking around cautiously. The two sergeants ducked to the sides of the window and hugged the wall as the guard looked through the glass into the room. Moffitt let out a sigh as the footsteps faded away, the guard walking more boldly after finding nothing amiss.

"That was close. Let's get this done. I don't want Hitch and Tully to get itchy trigger fingers."

"They know what's at stake here. They won't do anything to jeopardize the mission." Moffitt could hear the strain in Troys' voice. His reassurances weren't necessary but they did as much for him as they did for Troy. They began a systematic search of the shelves in the room.

"What's the name of this stuff we want?"

Moffitt could just make out his tense face in the dim room. He spelled the name of the serum so Troy would recognize it. "The serum is probably in boxes. They wouldn't want anyone asking questions about it if they saw it. This way it can pass for more influenza vaccine."

"Tully said he saw them unloading square boxes with red tops." Troy offered.

"That's probably the serum. They already had the vaccine according to Captain Dietrich." Moffitt was scanning the boxes as he talked. "Here it is!"

Troy rushed to his side and checked the boxes. The flaps were folded together but they weren't sealed. Troy grinned, showing even white teeth.

"Troy, stop smiling, someone will see us." Moffitt warned, only half joking.

Troy glance up, startled, his face once again serious. He looked at the window quickly before he nodded. "Take the vials out but be careful." Troy warned Moffitt even as he set the satchel on the floor and began pulling rows of vials out and setting them on the counter.

Working quickly, the two sergeants pulled vials from the boxes and replaced them with vials from the satchel. The vials from the boxes were wrapped in cloth and placed in the satchel.

"Is that all of them?"

"Yes, this is the last batch. I wonder how G-2 found out what the vials looked like. These are an exact match right down to the color of the liquid."

Troy took a minute to consider the vial he held in his hand. " It may look alike but the important thing is what it can do to a person. It's amazing how crazy some people get." He shook his head in bewilderment. "The only thing that matters now is that we get this stuff out of here without anyone knowing we were here." He placed the vial in with the others in the satchel and sealed the top. They replaced everything the way they had found it with only one difference, one very important difference; the vials they left behind would cause only a mild case of influenza. Mixed with the flu vaccine, it would run its course in twenty-four hours and be virtually harmless. The ones they took with them were anything but harmless.

Moffitt glanced at his watch. "Dietrichs little dinner party will be breaking up soon. We'd better be getting out of here."

Opening the window carefully, mindful of the screech it had omitted earlier, they listened for footsteps before climbing out. Again carefully, they lowered the window sash behind them. Ducking from shadow to shadow the two men carried their deadly cargo off the base and into the dark desert beyond.

The last sounds they heard were the inspectors leaving the dinner party for their quarters. The men were saying their good nights and talking among themselves. As health inspectors, they had requested and been given quarters in the hospital.

Once in the privacy of the hospital where they were quartered, they rushed to the room where the drugs were kept. Wearing masks and gloves, they opened the boxes and removed the vials. Using syringes, they added the contents of the vials to the bottles of flu vaccine. Still using gloves, they replaced the vaccine in its original box. When all the contaminated vials had been stored neatly and the serum vials had been packed back in the boxes, they breathed a sigh of relief. They removed their masks and gloves and put them in the boxes with the red tops along with the now empty vials. The boxes were loaded into one of their trucks to be disposed of after they left the base.

"Once the vaccine is administered it will take about a day for the first symptoms to appear. We will be gone before the vaccine is given so there will be no suspicion to fall on us, Once we are sure it is working the captain will be given orders to attack the Allies. He will lose of course, and he and his men will be captured or killed, taking the virus with them. After that the outbreak will spread quickly among the Allies. They won't know what hit them. Within a week there will not be enough healthy Allied troops in North Africa to hold a fortress. We'll wait for them to fall and then take over." The inspector in charge of the mission summed it up for the others. "It is done. Tomorrow we finish here and then it's just a matter of waiting."

The inspectors packed their boxes into their trucks and went to bed, convinced that they had just taken a huge step toward defeating the Allies.

The tainted vaccine waited to be administered to the unsuspecting loyal soldiers of the Afrika Korps.


	10. Chapter 10

**The War Without Honor Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 10

Tully Pettigrew crouched next to the wall and motioned to Mark Hitchcock. They both braced for trouble, ready to defend themselves or draw the guards away if needed. Knives in hand, they hoped to do whatever needed to be done as silently as possible. Troy and Moffitt were due back at any time and it was their job to make sure that the sergeants were not spotted or stopped. The Germans could never know about the switched vials.

A dark form moved along the outside of the wall toward them. Tully relaxed as a second form separated from the shadows carrying a satchel.

"It's okay." Tully whispered to the blond. Troy and Moffitt kept going, slipping out into the darkness toward the jeeps. Tully and Hitch waited a few minutes to make sure the sergeants were not being followed before they headed for the jeeps.

Troy was wrapping the satchel in a heavy oilcloth when they arrived. They watched in silence as he wedged it carefully into the rear of the jeep.

"I'll sure be glad when we get rid of that." Moffitt commented in a low voice. Tully nodded thoughtfully as Hitch watched Troy. Hitch didn't say a word as he climbed into the driver's seat and waited for his sergeant.

"Just don't bang it around and break any of the vials." Troy cautioned needlessly. Hitch nodded and chewed harder on his gum. Troy noticed that he appeared nervous and wasn't blowing any bubbles. "Blowing bubbles won't break the vials Hitch."

"I'm not taking any chances Sarge. Let's just get somewhere where we can burn this stuff."

Troy nodded and climbed into his seat. "Let's shake it."

Hitch glanced over at him without his usual smile. "I'd rather not if you don't mind."

Troy tried not to laugh. "Just get moving. We'll destroy the vials as soon as we get someplace where we won't be spotted."

Hitch led the way driving so slowly that Troy wanted to get out and push. His tension was clear even in the dark.

"Hitch, you drove faster than this when we had those tennis ball explosives in the back. What's the problem?"

"They killed you quick Sarge. This stuff, it's a whole lot worse. I just can't understand why the krauts would want to come up with something like this. And to use it on their own people, that's just wrong!" Hitch shuttered as if cold.

"It's not all of them Hitch. I think Dietrich feels the same way you do. He is helping us after all."

"I know." Hitch drove in silence for a while. "Sarge?"

"Yeah?"

"What happens now?"

Troy shrugged. "The Colonel said that the stuff that we left will make Dietrich and his men sick for a day or so, but nothing serious. We'll avoid a fight if they get sent out to engage. Maybe it won't come to that."

"How are we going to stop it? I thought that that was part of the plan from Berlin?"

"It was." Troy explained. "Only they aren't expecting the men to get sick for at least a day or two. The stuff we gave them will make them sick within hours. That ought to throw their scientists for a loop. And when they recover after only twenty-four hours," Troy shrugged again, "we're hoping they think there is something wrong with the formula. If it fails that bad they may just scrap the whole plan."

Hitch was shaking his head. "It seems to me that anyone who would come up with a plan like this isn't going to give up that easily." The blond fell silent again, concentrating on his driving.

Troy fell silent too, thinking about what Hitch had said. Darn, the kid was right, they needed to adapt their plan to cover the bigger picture.

A half hour later Hitch pulled the jeep next to an abandoned building that had fallen in disrepair. The two privates piled wood from the building into a pyre and piled kindling all around the outside edges. When it was ready the sergeants removed the cloth wrapped satchel from the jeep and secured it in the center of the pile. Moffitt double-checked the positioning to make sure it wouldn't roll free as the wood burned.

Satisfied, Troy turned to Tully. "How about using one of those matchsticks for something useful?"

Tully took the matchstick from his mouth and scraped it across a rock. When it flared to life he lit the pile of wood. The four of them moved away from the fire to avoid breathing the smoke. They watched as the heat broke the vials and the liquid inside spilled out only to evaporate amid the cleansing fire. They watched until the flames died down to glowing embers.

"Let's hope that that is the last of that." Moffitt spoke for all of them.

"Amen to that." Tully responded.

Hitch popped his gum and stared into the dying fire.

"Troy?"

Tully and Hitch looked up at Moffitts' voice. Sam Troy stood staring into the ashes with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Troy?"

"Do we know if the 'inspectors' had anything to do with developing the serum?" Troy looked over at Moffitt in the dark. It was hard to read his expression now that the flames no longer lit up the area.

"From what I understand, some of them were part of the team that developed the serum. G-2 didn't specify which ones though. What are you thinking Troy?" Moffitt watched a range of emotions cross his friends face. Even in the dark it was obvious that something was bothering him.

"Hitch said something earlier that got me thinking." Troy answered in a distracted way. Then he shook himself and faced his team. "He said after coming up with this plan he couldn't see them giving up this easy."

Moffitt nodded thoughtfully. "He could be right. Headquarters may be a bit optimistic about this being the end of it. They obviously spent a lot of time on this idea."

"What if they lost some of the planners?"

"Troy." The Brit could hear the determination in the other mans' voice.

"Think about it Moffitt. If some of the planners die and the experiment fails, will they go to all the trouble of trying it again? If we wait for them to send word that they have completed the first part of the plan and then it fails for some inexplicable reason, what will they do? If some of the scientists are killed in an unrelated attack on their convoy that won't be connected to the experiment, will they go to the trouble of finding someone to replace them?" Troy waited for Moffitt to answer.

"Troy, if we hit that convoy anywhere near Dietrichs camp, we risk them making the connection." Moffitt reasoned.

"So we don't hit them right away." Troy was getting more convinced that he was right as they talked. "Look, we can't go back to the base for a few days anyway."

"Why not Sarge?" Hitch ask with a puzzled look on his face. "We switched the vials, I thought that that was all we needed to do." He was clearly confused.

"We switched the vials Hitch. We carried them in our jeeps."

"You're saying we can't go back because we might be sick?" Tully drawled in his slow way.

Troy glanced between the two privates. "I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you earlier but I was ordered to keep that possibility to myself." He looked to Moffitt for support.

"It's only a possibility you understand. " The Brit hurried to explain. "We don't know enough about that serum to rule anything out. We're not sure just how it acts yet."

Both privates remained silent.

"We had to take the risk. The alternative was just unacceptable. We couldn't let the Germans carry out their plan." The sergeants waited for the reaction from the younger men.

"So they were willing to sacrifice us without asking us? How is that different from what the Germans were doing?" Hitch still sounded confused.

"So how long until we know?" This from Tully.

"Twenty-four to forty-eight hours." Moffitt told them. "We took every precaution that we could. We used gloves and masks when we handled the vials. We packed cloth around them to keep them from banging together. Everything we used we burned, except the jeeps of course."

"So what are our orders now?" Hitch ask in a quiet voice.

Troy shrugged. "Stay away from all Allied bases and troops until we're sure we aren't infected."

"And if we are?"

"We don't go back." Troy faced his driver with a grim face.

"We'll be dead in a few days in that case Hitch. Without treatment to prolong our lives, we'll die fairly quickly." Moffitt explained gravely. "And if one of us is sick, none of us can go back, it's just too risky."

There was an uneasy silence as the four of them considered their futures.

"So we have two or three days of free time? Sort of like a leave?" Tully broke the silence.

Troy tried to smile. "Yeah, sort of. We just get to hang out and relax."

"And do whatever we want?" Hitch wanted to know.

Moffitt smiled slightly. "Just what do you have in mind Hitch?"

"Why don't we follow those 'inspectors' and find out what they're up to next? They handled those vials too when they brought them here. It seems to me that if they get sick and start an epidemic then we've still failed in my book. Maybe we ought to watch them and make sure that they don't get sick."

Troy finally managed a smile. "Anybody have a problem with that plan?" When he didn't get any arguments he headed for his jeep. "I don't know about you guys but I don't want to sleep anywhere near this stuff, burned or not, and I'm tired. We have another long day ahead of us tomorrow."

,.


	11. Chapter 11

**The War Without Honor Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 11

"They don't look sick." The Rat Patrol had followed the 'inspectors' column when they left Dietrichs' base. Not long after leaving the trucks had stopped and officers in masks and gowns had burned the boxes with the red tops. The gowns and masks had gone into the fire too. "They know how to handle the serum, after all, they helped create it." Moffitt told his driver.

Tully frowned and bit down on his matchstick. After being followed for three days, the Germans were still unaware of their shadows. "When do you think Sarge will let us cure them of their evil ways?"

"Why Tully," Moffitt smiled at the man next to him, "you're sounding almost philosophical."

"Don't know about that Sarge but I do know it's about time those guys were put out of business."

"Quite right Tully, and I suspect that Troy is thinking the same thing. This is the third day, I don't see how they could connect this to Dietrich."

The young private nodded his response, his eyes still locked on the scene below him on the desert floor.

"Tully." Moffitt hesitated as he watched his driver watch the Germans.

"What is it Sarge?" Tully rolled to face the sergeant. "What's wrong?"

The British sergeant bit his lip before he formed an answer. "Are you and Hitch alright?"

"Fine Sarge." Tully answered, puzzled. "Do you mean, are we sick?"

"No, I know you're healthy. You haven't shown any symptoms, I know, I've been watching."

"Then what do you mean Sarge? Okay, how?"

Moffitt still hesitated, not sure he wanted to hear the answer to the question. "Are you alright with our decision to take this assignment without telling you all the risks?"

This time Tully hesitated. He turned back to watch the Germans as he considered the question. "Well it would have been nice if you had trusted us up front to know the truth."

"We had our orders not to tell you."

"Whose orders?"

"The Colonel. He had orders from higher up."

Tully shook his head. "Still should have told us Sarge. Nobody had to know that you told us. We can keep a secret too." There was a pause where neither man spoke. "We're not mad Sarge. Hitch and I both know you had orders. It's just that Sarge always says we do better when we know all the facts. What if something had happened to you and Troy? We would have gone back to the base because we didn't know we weren't allowed to go back. What would have happened then? See what I mean?" Tully searched Moffitts' face for understanding.

Moffitt nodded. "You're right, of course. We should have told you. It could have turned out really bad. We can't say one thing and do another if we want your trust."

"You've got our trust Sarge, you know that. It's just that we're a part of this team too and we need to know when there are special orders."

"You're right, I'll talk to Troy about it. In the future we'll try to share more for those 'just in case' times."

Tully managed a smile at the turn of his phrase. "You do know that trust works both ways, right?"

Moffitt started to slide down the hill toward the jeeps. "I'll go speak to Troy right now. It won't do to have you two thinking that we don't trust you." He turned his back toward Tully as he slid and missed the grin he received in return.

"Everything okay?" Troy looked up as Moffitt approached.

"Yes, I just need to talk to you. Tully is still watching the column."

Sam Troy paused in cleaning the sand out of the 50 caliber gun to look up at his second. "Is Tully alright?"

"He's fine Troy, we've been talking."

Troy sighed and nodded before leaning over the 50 again. " I had a talk with Hitch too. I take it Tully had a lot to say to you too."

The British sergeant shrugged. "I imagine that you heard much the same thing. The point is, they're right, we should have told them."

"We had orders."

"That's never stopped us before. When something important comes up, we need to talk."

"Jack, they didn't need to know. Why worry them for nothing? I was jumpy enough without dealing with them too. Look at the way Hitch acted with the vials in the jeep."

Moffitt frowned. "Tully made a good point. If something had happened to us, they would have returned to the base. You know our orders, all of us come back or none of us."

"But they wouldn't have been exposed if we had failed."

"I know that Troy. You know it, and Hitch and Tully would have known it, but the soldiers at the base would have had no way of knowing it. And I'm sure that they would have been given orders in case anyone tried to return alone."

The realization hit Troy all at once. Usually he had all the possible scenarios worked out in detail. This was one detail he had missed. If the privates had returned alone , unaware of their orders, they may have been killed by their own side before they could explain.

Moffitt watched Troys' dark eyes go bleak and he nodded. "I missed it too but Tully was astute enough to point it out to me."

Troy raised his eyebrows as he thought about it. "Okay, we need to consider their roles if anything were to happen to us."

"Tully also pointed out that no one had to know that we told them because apparently both Tully and Hitch know how to keep a secret." Moffitt smiled at the memory of Tully's' smug look.

"I get the point." Troy answered with a grin. "I'll have a talk with both of them and straighten it out. Hitch ask if I thought they would have refused to come if they'd known."

"Did you?"

"No, I knew they'd come no matter what because you and I were going. We're a team, we take care of each other."

"Exactly what they were trying to tell us Sam."

"Okay Jack, I get it." Troy looked up to locate Tully. "What do you say we go harass another convoy?"


	12. Chapter 12

**The War Without Honor Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 12

The officers climbed stiffly back into their trucks after stopping for the night. They had their radios tuned to the patrol frequencies trying to catch word of a spreading epidemic.

"Call Captain Dietrich and inquire as to how he is doing." One of them suggested to the leader.

"He will think it suspicious if we ask about his health." Another replied.

"Tell him we are asking because several of us suffered ill effects from that dinner party he gave us. Make it sound like his cook served bad food."

The leader climbed back out of the truck and headed for the radio. He returned more perplexed than ever.

"Are they ill yet?"

"Yes and no." The leader answered. "Apparently they became ill within hours of our departure with a mild form of influenza. The captain assured me that they have all recovered and feel fine now. He suggested that we may have caught the same flu and that it wasn't bad food at all. If that is the case he said we should all be fine by tomorrow."

There were puzzled looks all around.

"What went wrong? They should be getting sicker, not better."

"Perhaps the heat of the desert mutated the serum."

"Maybe the flu shots they were mixed with destroyed the germs."

"Are you sure they received the doses?"

"Yes." Answered another, "I checked on their preparations myself."

They were still debating their failure when the trucks began to roll. Huddled in the rocking vehicles, they reviewed every step of their plan. No one had any idea what had gone wrong. They were still arguing when the bullets started flying.

Tully took his jeep wide to the right of the convoy. Moffitt, on the 50, riddled the trucks from rear to front. Hitch and Troy, coming up fast on the other side, caught the Germans as they aimed at the first jeep. With fire from both sides, the Germans couldn't stand and aim at either jeep without exposing themselves to the fire from the other.

With a shout to Moffitt, Tully pointed at one truck in particular. The British sergeant made sure that he raked that truck from one end to the other. When Troy approached from the other side he aimed for the gas tank. A ball of flames shot out to the sides before the fire started climbing up the trucks frame. Men in white lab coats jumped from the back of the truck and dropped to the ground to roll. The truck behind them ran over two of them before the driver could crank his wheel and swerve.

The two jeeps set two more trucks on fire to draw attention away from their deliberate attack on the scientists. They continued their assault until the halftracks in the lead completed their turns and headed back to defend their convoy.

Troy sent one final burst of fire into the trucks and waved Hitch to clear out. Hitch swerved as one of the halftracks fired a shell at them. With one final glance at the trucks, the blond hit the top of the dune flying into the air before the jeep dropped from sight. The two little vehicles put some distance between them and the convoy before Troy called a halt.

Maybe we should go back and make sure we got them Sarge." Hitch popped a bubble for emphasis.

"We got them. The ones who did make it out won't be in very good shape." Troy grinned at his driver in triumph.

"I doubt very much that those particular scientists will bother us again." Moffitt added with a smile.

"Wonder how Dietrich's' doing." Tully added around his matchstick.

Troy twisted around to climb into the passenger seat. With a flash of teeth, he grinned at his men. "Let's go find out."

They drove all day, making better time than the convoy with the halftracks had done. Dusk found them once more outside of Dietrich's' base.

"Tully. you and Hitch stay here and watch the jeeps. Moffitt and I are going to go talk to Dietrich."

The two privates watched them walk away.

"You thinking what I'm thinking Hitch?"

"Yep, if anything happens to them, we can't go home."

"Yep."

"So why don't you keep an eye on them so nothing happens to them? I can guard the jeeps." Hitchcock winked. "Just don't get caught."

With a nod Tully followed the sergeants. He slipped onto the base right behind them. It was Tully who noticed the sounds coming from one of the latrines. Troy and Moffitt had slithered past them without a glance. Tully waited and was rewarded with the appearance of a German soldier exiting the last latrine in line. The soldiers head popped up as he spotted the two dark forms sneaking across the base.

He took a breath to yell but the sound was cut off as a large hand clamped over his mouth. A hard object connected with his head and he slumped to the ground unconscious. A dark shape pulled the unconscious soldier toward the latrines and stuffed him into the first one.

Shutting the door on the unconscious German, Tully moved back into the shadows and made himself comfortable. He was prepared to wait as long as it took for his sergeants to return. There were no more late night visitors to the latrines and Tully finally spotted the sergeants returning. He rose and melted into the darkness, reaching the jeeps ahead of them. He quickly informed Hitch of the nights events.

"I guess this will have to be our little secret." Hitch whispered after Tully finished. "Sarge doesn't need to know that you followed them."

"Sure, we can keep a secret." Tully agreed.

Just then Troy called to them and they moved out of the shadows to answer his summons.


	13. Chapter 13

**The War Without Honor Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 13

The jeeps rolled into the Allied base and stopped in front of the headquarters building. Troy and Moffitt climbed out and entered the building.

Tully and Hitch drove away without a word, going straight to the motor pool and making arrangements to have their jeeps serviced. They filled their jerry cans with fuel and water before heading to Supply and getting more rations and ammo. Once everything was done, they curled up next to their jeeps and went to sleep.

Troy and Moffitt had to wait to see the Colonel. When they finally got the call to enter his office, they found it crowded. The Colonel and his clerk were there along with several other officers and their staff.

"Come in Sergeant, glad you could all make it back."

"Thank you Sir." Troy answered with a salute. He cast an uneasy glance around the room. There seemed to be a lot of frowns for a celebration of a successful mission.

"First, I'd like to thank you for a job well done Sergeant. There have been no reports of any epidemics anywhere in North Africa." The Colonel smiled at the sergeants.

"No Sir, we checked with Captain Dietrich before we returned and he hasn't heard of any either." This comment didn't seem to set well with some of the unknown officers.

"Of course he wouldn't admit it Sergeant." One of them argued.

"Excuse me Sir?" Troy faced the officer, anger on his face.

"He wouldn't tell you if there were an outbreak Sergeant."

"I disagree Sir, we had a deal. If he knew anything about an outbreak, he'd tell us. The captain is an honorable man. He hated that plan as much as we did."

"Only because he was chosen as a sacrifice Sergeant. You can bet that if it had been any other unit, he wouldn't have helped." The officer dared Troy to disagree, and to his surprise, the sergeant did just that.

"The Captain would have helped no matter who was chosen as a sacrifice. As a matter of fact, I think he would have helped even if they had chosen our own POWs to carry the virus. He found it as disagreeable as we did Lieutenant. He could have refused to take the vaccine and sent it on to someone else. Instead he helped us destroy it."

"We cannot deny that the captains' help was invaluable Lieutenant, Sergeant." The Colonel interrupted what was fast becoming a heated argument. "You said you saw the Captain?" The Colonel brought the focus back to the aim of the meeting.

"Yes Sir." Troy confirmed, ignoring the Lieutenant.

"How did Berlin take the news of the columns destruction?" The Colonel gave the sergeants a disapproving glare.

"They're angry at us Sir. I believe they raised the bounty on our heads as a result of that attack. They couldn't believe that we would have the audacity to attack a convoy carrying such distinguished scientists." Troy repeated the story that Dietrich had told them. "The Captain pointed out that we had no idea who the men actually were. He told them that we tended to attack targets of opportunity and that we probably just stumbled across the convoy by accident. Being who we are, he told them we probably just couldn't resist such a lightly guarded column."

The Colonel actually smiled. "Good. Did they believe him?

"He thinks so Sir."

"Good." The Colonel nodded again. "Sergeant, just why did you attack that column? You could have blown the entire mission."

"The architects of that plan were on that convoy. They wanted to see the results of the serum first hand Sir. Someone pointed out that they might not give up so easily. Maybe with some of them dead it won't be so easy to start over. We waited until they had radioed their failure to their commanders and they were three days drive from Dietrich's base. No one will connect it to the serum. There were reports of our being in the area both before and after the failed experiment. No one saw us on the base after the serum arrived. Almost everyone who actually knew about the experiment is dead. I don't think they'll try it again Sir, they were at a loss to explain what went wrong."

"And Captain Dietrich?"

Troy smiled. "He's already trying to figure out how to get his hands on us again. He says it looks bad when we keep escaping. He's made it his goal to send us to a POW camp. You've got to admit Sir, the guy is persistent."

"And grateful Colonel." Moffitt added. "Just not grateful enough to betray his country to repay us. He is first and always a German officer. We were just lucky that he agreed that the plan was neither good for Germany nor good for its loyal soldiers. He values honor in both German and enemy soldiers Sir."

"So everything is back to normal?" Col. Wilson inquired.

"That about sums it up Sir." Troy couldn't hide his grin.

"Okay Sergeant, in that case, I have another assignment for your outfit. Pack up your jeeps, you leave as soon as you can get them ready." He handed a yellow manila envelope to Troy. "This convoy is headed toward one of our outfits that is temporarily bogged down. Don't let the Germans get that fuel or ammo. Our guys need time to break out and it won't help if the krauts get resupplied."

The two sergeants shared a grin as Troy took the packet.

"I wonder if Tully and Hitch got any sleep after they took care of the jeeps."


End file.
